


Distracted Listening

by khughes830



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode: s07e09 The Wedding, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-22
Updated: 2005-12-22
Packaged: 2019-05-30 09:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15094262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khughes830/pseuds/khughes830
Summary: Josh and Donna at the reception.  Post-epThe Wedding.





	Distracted Listening

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Distracted Listening**

**by:** Kathleen

**Character(s):** Donna Moss,Josh Lyman  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Episode:** 7-09 The Wedding  
**Summary:** Josh and Donna at the reception. Post-ep "The Wedding".  
**Written:** 2005-12-12  


He watched her from across the room, surrounded by men that, really and truly, could only be described as gomers. Seriously, she was trying to look interested in what the French Ambassador’s son and two members of Vic’s college band were saying to her, but he could tell she was barely listening and hadn’t been in some time.

He was just waiting for the perfect moment to go over and rescue her – that’s how he had always played it. He noticed she rolled her eyes at some lame joke the bass player told – she thought that no one else was able to notice, but he could always tell, so he proceeded to cross the room to the group.

“Excuse me gentlemen” he said, separating the group and extending his hand to her. “This is a very attractive woman who seems to be a little bored. I guess I will have to be the one to entertain her.”

He didn’t notice the hateful looks from the rest of the group. He smiled his dimples at her as she took his hand and he escorted her out on to the dance floor. 

“Josh, was the really necessary?”

“What?”

“The whole bored thing.”

“Hey, you’re the one that brought it up earlier!”

“Yeah, you see, I didn’t really think you were listening then…”

“Ah, my dear Donnatella, that’s where you are wrong. For I, Joshua Lyman, have perfected the art of distracted listening.”

“Distracted listening? I can’t wait to hear this.”

“I thought you might bee that way” he said as he spun her out and then pulled her back in, closing what little distance there had been between them when they started dancing. He leaned his cheek against hers and pulled their joined hands in and rested them on his chest. He heard her give off a sigh of contentment and that made him smile.

“Distracted listening is something I perfected about 10 minutes after you hired yourself 9 years ago. I am able to keep doing what I’m doing while absorbing what you are saying.”

“Everything, huh?!?” she said as she played with the curls at the base of his neck. She was so glad he had let is hair grow back out. She’d always wanted to do this and she was feeling brave and feisty tonight.

At this point, he could care less about who was watching the two of them on the dance floor. He tightened his grip on her a bit as he noticed the French Ambassador’s son checking her out from the outskirts of the floor.

“Everything.”

“I don’t think I quite believe you.”

“Fine” he said, pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes. “There was the day you prattled on and on about giving money to Mexico, about who’s actually in charge of Christmas shopping, James Madison and English as the national language, everything about Stackhouse and his grandson, carpal-tunnel syndrome. I know that you were completely right about the LemonLyman.com fiasco. I remember every word you said on TV while working for Russell. Hell, I put your parents’ cats on the Supreme Court, didn’t I?”

“I KNEW IT!” Donna exclaimed, smiling brightly. 

“For 8 years, you influenced my life and my decisions just through talking and letting me teach and talk to you. And I was able to still do my job – see, distracted listening. It’s an art form that not very many people have mastered.”

“So, you were listening before?”

“When?”

“On the steps, before the wedding. I mean, you basically repeated my words back to me when you rescued me from all those gomers.”

“Donnatella Moss using the term gomers – they must have all really been something.”

“You have no idea. The French Ambassador’s son is really handsy.”

Josh immediately stiffened and started looking around for this guy so he could have Secret Service take him out as he left the reception. 

Donna reached up and grabbed his chin and forced him to look back at her.

“Josh, do me a favor – forget about him, all of them. I mean, I’m not dancing with them now, am I?”

He became mesmerized by her eyes. “You look stunning tonight.”

“I was wondering if you noticed.”

“How could I not?”

She gave him a shy smile that he found sexy as hell.

“I think I may have to kiss you now, Donna.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah – I think it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion.”

“Well, if you must” she said, smiling brightly.

His lips were on hers in an instant. It was a light and chaste kiss, but Donna could tell that he was holding back everything he was feeling. She toyed with his curls as she sucked on his bottom lip slightly. He let out a soft moan and she knew she had to pull back.

She stared into his brown eyes and smiled.

“My my my, Miss Moss…”

“Josh, I think we should get out of here.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. We’ve got to be up early to get on the plane and… well, I’m tired of sharing you. You’ve had a rough day – let’s just go.”

“Absolutely!” he said. He released her from his arms and they both made their way to gather their things before heading out into the night, arm in arm.

The End? TBC? I haven’t quite decided….  



End file.
